


Hades and Persephone

by CrystallicSky



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, Xiaolin Showdown (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mythology, Blurred Gender Roles, Chase as Hades, Jack as Persephone, Kidnapping, M/M, Stockholm Syndrome, probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-02
Updated: 2008-03-02
Packaged: 2017-11-12 18:57:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/494562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystallicSky/pseuds/CrystallicSky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The classic Greek myth of the god of the dead and the daughter of Demeter with a of twist.</p><p>The kind of twist that puts a Heylin warlord in the place of Hades and casts his devoted fanboy in the role of Persephone, to be precise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A full moon shone down on a sparkling brook in a lush, green field. The field was filled nearly entirely by flowers of every shade from red to violet and back again. The night was entirely silent save for the quiet run of water and the gentle slurping noise as a doe lapped thirstily at the stream.

Some would say that such natural beauty should never be tainted by a human presence, but those people had obviously never laid eyes on the youth who, even now, seemed to blend ever so seamlessly into the peaceful environment.

His name was Jack, and in fairness, he wasn't a human presence at all—not entirely, at least.

No, Jack was the son of a goddess, which was the only for his nearly-supernatural beauty. His skin and hair were the color of the moon itself, and the fingers of his pale hand now skimmed over the stream's cool surface, its twin lightly petting the female deer's head. The skittish, people-shy creature did not even twitch at the touch. His innocent aura, however seemed horridly corrupted by the utterly forlorn look in the ruby eyes the young man sported.

Jack had been born with a rare, human birth defect that caused babes to be without coloring and to possess demonic eyes. Thankfully his heritage gave the look far more beauty than a mortal would have with it, and even if it didn't, his mother would have loved him despite it. The love of Demeter, the gorgeous goddess of the harvest, was rivaled in desirability only by the goddess of beauty herself, Aphrodite.

Speaking of the woman, Jack suddenly felt delicate hands lay atop his shoulders and, turning slightly, he saw the soft, smiling expression of his loving mother.

"My beloved son, I can feel your unhappiness like a dark shroud around you. It pains me to see you this way, you know. What troubles you, my dearest Jack?"

The boy sighed helplessly. "Oh, mother, I don't know...lately, I've just been feeling as if...as if something is missing from my life."

"Missing?" The woman was awestruck at her son's words. "What in Tartarus do you mean, my child?"

Jack cringed at the baffled tone, knowing Demeter wouldn't understand what he was about to say. "Mother, it's not that I don't enjoy these nights, _I do_ , but it's the same thing again and again. I guess I just want...something different, is all."

"If this is your way of trying to see the daytime, my son, I won't have it." Jack's birth defect had left him sensitive to sunlight, and being half-god, while he was unable to die naturally (and would probably even cease aging in a year or two) he could still get sick or hurt and then die from _that_. Demeter insisted she wouldn't lose her son to the Underworld, so the boy's protective mother had always hidden him away before the coming of dawn.

Jack was only allowed outside after dusk had fallen, and in truth, Jack had never even seen sunlight. Needless to say, of course, the woman had only become _more_ strict on the issue when her son's mortal father had died, leaving mother and son alone. "I won't lose you to some...some _thrill-seeking phase_!"

"No, mother, it's not that, really!" Jack insisted. "I was actually sort of thinking about...well, _love_ , I guess. I've never _been_ in love before."

"Love?" Demeter laughed at the suggestion, not even noticing the look of crushed hope in the boy's eyes as she said it. "How silly, my son! You don't want the god of love to shoot his arrows at you. You are much too young, and his arrows will hurt. Besides," her musical voice spoke as she wrapped her arms around her son, "you have _my_ love. That's all you need."

"Yes..." Jack sighed in resignation, leaning back into the woman's embrace, "of course, mother."

It was needless to say that the both of them remained entirely unaware of the avaricious golden stare that was locked firmly on the boy through the whole of the conversation.

A second set of eyes, too, watched the scene unfold, but these eyes belonging to the King of All Gods, Dashi. The man 'hmm'-ed thoughtfully, taking in the situation before calling two other gods to him, Omi, the son of Aphrodite, and Raimundo, the newly-declared messenger god.

"Boys," he said, "I've got something I'd like you to do for me..."

 

* * *

 

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you where you stand," the God of the Dead demanded of the male before him who had entered his throne room entirely unannounced.

"Hey, hey, easy, Chase," Raimundo spoke, hands raised in a gesture of harmlessness, "don't shoot the messenger! I've actually got some good news for you."

An elegant eyebrow arched challengingly. "Oh?"

"Yeah, see Dashi has been watching you for a while, and apparently he's sick of watching the old 'run-around', because he finally sent me down here to give you permission."

"Permission?" the man scoffed, "And what, pray tell, have I been given permission _for_?"

"Oh, come on, Chase, we _both_ know what we're talking about: Demeter's kid, what's-his-name."

Chase tensed ever so slightly, supplying, "Jack."

"Yeah, him! See? You know! I envy you, really, Chase. Even with the part-mortal thing and the...well, whatever that whiteness thing is, he's pretty hot, isn't he?"

Biting back an annoyed growl, the older god ran a hand through his long, inky black hair, asking, "What are you babbling about?"

"Jack, of course!" Rai said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Dashi sent me to tell you that you have free range on the kid. You can do _whatever_ you want with him, and if he gives you any trouble, Omi's standing by if you need him."

"...You're joking." Chase accused.

"That's the best part," the messenger laughed, "I'm not! You'll get to fulfill _all_ your sick little fantasies on him, no questions asked. Dashi must _really_ think you need to get laid to go out of his way like this."

Chase scowled, crossing one leg over the other. "Hm. And how does my _brother,_ " he spat the word like venom, "intend to keep Demeter from discovering that her precious son is practically being handed over to the one who _already_ holds the soul of her beloved mortal husband in his kingdom?"

"Um...he... Well, I don't...actually know... But he's probably got _something_!"

 _"Something_ , eh?" the man spoke mockingly. "Well, then, how about I tell you _something_? I care more about my harvested souls than for Demeter's pathetic little half-breed son!" This was certainly a statement, because once a human's soul passed on to the Underworld and was sent to Tartarus, Cerberus's guarded station, or the increasingly rarer Elysian fields, Chase would have absolutely nothing to do with it ever again, barring only the case of Orpheus and his lover, which ended for both in absolute tragedy. "If it were up to me, I'd have killed the useless whelp myself instead of simply waiting for him to die!"

"Sheesh," Rai said, backing off, "no one said you _had_ to take advantage of the offer. But, you know, Dashi figured you'd say something like that, so he said it won't expire, so you know... Well, if it were me, I'd rethink it. I mean, a cute thing like him at _god_ status with _none_ of the powers..." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Just give it some thought."

The second the messenger had left, Chase's scowl faded into a malevolent smirk. Feigning disinterest had been the perfect tool to throw off his competition. It was ridiculously obvious that Raimundo had an interest in Jack, and things would be far simpler if Chase wasn't going to be suspected as a rival.

He had been waiting for this kind of opportunity for quite some time, and he was not so foolish as to pass it up now that it had been handed to him on a silver platter, regardless of the fact that it was the hand of his good-for-nothing brother that presented it to him.

Oh, yes, he would take _full_ advantage of this...

 

* * *

 

Jack sighed, curling his fingertips around the stem of a nearby flower as he gazed listlessly at it.

He and this plant shared the same fate in a way, only truly alive at night (being that it was a moonflower) and simply living out their monotonous existence until it was to be ended. The flower, though, would eventually die, but as Jack was unable to do so naturally. With _his_ mother, being killed was unlikely, and he had no choice but to wait.

After all, time couldn't go on _forever_...could it?

The youth frowned, tugging harshly on the flower, snapping the stem and severing the plant's lifeline. Between his fingers, he could already feel it slowly begin to die.

Dropping it to the ground, he decided he envied the thing in a way, because it could do what he could not, could _never_ do: die.

 _"He wishes for death?"_ Chase pondered in his mind before easily dismissing. _"No, he is too young; he no longer knows what he wants, not since Demeter interfered. But...if the boy wants to go to the Underworld..."_

"A gorgeous night, is it not?" Jack jumped at the silky voice that pierced the night like an arrow of Artemis, turning his head to meet the newcomer.

What met his eyes made his heart pause in mid-beat.

Long, inky-black hair gave off a glossy shine in the moonlight as it lay elegantly over broad, strong shoulders and framed a handsome face that Jack almost instantly found himself enamored of gazing at. The stranger had piercing golden eyes that made him all the more exotic and appealing to the half-human youth. The man before him had such a masculine figure, clearly powerful, and yet he still managed to be so... _beautiful!_ It was a dark beauty, of course, the man practically exuded darkness, somehow, but it was beauty nonetheless, and through this thought alone, Jack's mind was sent wandering without his realization or consent.

Obviously, then, the mental image of those strong hands touching him jolted the youth fiercely back to reality, where naught but a few seconds had passed. A pink flush stained his cheeks and he stuttered out his answer to the other's question. "Y-yes, it's particularly pleasant out tonight..."

Chase smirked at the boy's reaction to him, quite obviously smitten if the blush on his fair skin was any indication. This was going even better than he had expected— at this rate, he could probably charm Jack into his bed before sunrise!

But no, he couldn't take the chance of being refused, not when everything was falling so perfectly into place.

And so he would do this properly, with as little chance for error as possible.

Taking a step forward, the King of the Dead gave as friendly a smile as he could manage and gestured to the general area where Jack was sitting, asking, "Is this seat taken?"

"Uh, no, the...the ground's free..." The half-god flushed even further at how nervous he sounded to his own ears, turning away from the other in embarrassment.

With a smug smile, Chase did as he had intended, and quickly decided he enjoyed the warmth from the pale youth beside him. Gently taking the other's long, artistic fingers in his grip, he lightly pressed his lips to the back of the snow-white hand. "My name is Chase, and it's a pleasure to meet someone as lovely as you."

"Jack. Uh, likewise." By Gaia, this was supposed to be impossible! An absolutely _gorgeous_ man who was not only speaking to him as an equal (whereas he usually got 'inferior' because of his lineage and looks), but who also appeared to feel some sort of affection towards him, or at the very least found him attractive. This could be just the thing he had been hoping for, a reprieve from the moonlit monotony that had become his life!

And so they talked, about anything and everything, but mostly nothing, essentially gossip, such as Aphrodite's promiscuity to her loyal husband Clay, but they also touched on the more morbid topics, ones that, had they both been mortals (or at least _fully_ mortal, in Jack's case), they would not have dared to speak of so casually. They talked of Atlas and his eternal torture of holding up the world, Prometheus and how he was forced to endure the pain of having his liver eaten out daily, only to endure it again the very next day, and in general the folly of those who were rightly (or wrongly, it was all the same amusement ot them) punished by the gods.

Of course, it had never occurred to Jack that, at the mention of his personal favorite, Tantalus, the man cursed with never-ending hunger and thirst for attempting to steal the nourishment of the gods, ambrosia and nectar, Chase had smirked wickedly and a dark glow had enveloped his form. Chase's pride in his work could have given him away, but luckily, Jack was naïve enough to pass it off as as a combination of his mind's fantasies running away with him and a trick of the moonlight.

As far as Demeter's beloved son knew, Chase was merely an ordinary mortal who had happened upon him entirely on accident, just as he was supposed to.

It was _very_ late at night or _very_ early in the morning that found the pale youth giggling like a school-girl at an amusing quip from his companion. When his laughter died down enough for him to speak, Jack sighed, admitting, "I really enjoy your company, Chase. I have a feeling that tonight was better than all of my other nights solely because of _your_ prescence."

"I enjoy your company as well, Jack," the elder replied, laying a hand over the younger's in a common gesture of what could have been either friendship or affection, "and I should not wish to part with it."

The boy smiled earnestly, basking in all of the possible meanings of the statement, all of which led to the fact that someone besides his mother liked him, as a friend if nothing else.

For the first time in the six years since his mother had become so overprotective, Jack felt happy.

Of course, the sky _had_ to take it upon itself to visibly lighten at that moment and the half-god's eyes widened at the realization of the time. "It's nearly morning! Oh, mother will be coming soon. I'm sorry, Chase, but it looks like our time has been cut short." And just when they had been getting along so well, too!

The man grinned _just_ enough to cause the red-eyed boy a slight uneasiness and answered, "Oh, I don't think _that_ will be an issue..."

Jack blinked, confused, a curious noise escaping his throat. What was he talking about? He was only further puzzled when one of Chase's strong hands held the back of his skull, though not uncomfortably so, as if to keep him from moving his head.

It suddenly made sense, however, as he was kissed full on the lips.

He had no time to react, though, because almost immediately after the kiss was initiated, he felt dizzy, like the earth had fallen out from underneath him. His eyelids felt heavy and his body made of lead as he quickly lost consciousness, moaning softly into Chase's mouth before he was utterly engulfed in blackness.

Pulling away from the boy's limp form, the dark stain of the toxin Chase had used to render Jack unconscious faded from his lips as he willed it away. Being god of the Underworld certainly had its perks, namely "the death." Although he rarely collected the souls of the dead _himself,_ he was still gifted with the ability to produce a kind of venom that transferred through skin-to-skin contact, meant for the purpose of taking those who fought against their deaths to the Underworld.

It didn't last very long, just long enough to keep the victim under until they had been brought to Chase's gloomy, black kingdom, and that was just what he intended to do with Jack.

 _This_ victim wasn't dead, but by the time the sun peeked over the horizon, he _would_ be among them.

Chase gently draped the pale youth over his shoulder, being careful to assure that he wouldn't be jostled too badly, and felt a small thrill when Jack, body and mind still anesthetized by the mild poison that coursed through his blood, squirmed in his grip. It was not in an unconscious attempt to escape, but rather a shift to fit himself more securely into his captor's hold.

 _"Demeter,"_ Chase thought to himself, _"will have wasted her time in coming for her son."_

Dark, black fire scorched the air at the god's departure of the mortal realm, and the sun rose to greet an empty field.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack groaned as awareness flooded back, a very slight vertigo still clinging to him. His head felt fuzzy, and for a full minute after waking, he was unable to produce a single thought. When the ability returned to the half-human, however, the first thing to cross his mind was, _"...Where am I?"_ quickly trailed by, _"What happened?"_

His mind obviously working at a slower rate than usual, memories hadn't yet come back to him, and so Jack settled for simple cognition. He was in a bed, that much was almost immediately clear from the soft surface he was lying on. The sheets were silk, and his eyes belatedly informed his mind that they were of a deep red with the slightest hint of purple when the light hit it correctly. The light itself was rare, and so he couldn't tell much else of the room from his eyes, but the soft, fluffy pillow underneath him induced a fatigued lethargy in him that very nearly compelled Jack to simply snuggle further under the covers and go back to sleep.

And then memory struck him all at once, and the swiftness with which the drugged feeling left him was stunning. "Chase..."

"Ah, you're awake, I see." Well, speak of the devil, indeed!

Jack frowned, his red eyes glaring indignantly at the man before him. "Where am I?" he sharply demanded, "What's going on?" The youth's attempt to stand failed miserably as his muscles vehemently protested any motion with a faint, weak feeling, and the halfling groaned quietly before falling lifelessly back to the bed.

Chase laughed condescendingly, moving to the bedside and placing a strong hand on the other's forehead. "I don't believe that's a good idea so soon, Jack. My sedative is still in your system. It would seem the effect lingers a little longer on the living."

"Th-the living?!" the boy spoke, almost curious, but more frazzled and upset at this point. "Who do you usually kiss like that, the dead?!"

Jack struggled to get up again, only to be pushed back down by the other's hand to his chest. "No," came the firm reply. "The dead have never felt my kiss, but they have felt my venom. You have had the pleasure to receive both."

Realizing the complete seriousness in Chase's tone, Jack stopped, giving Chase a blank stare. "What?"

The man smirked proudly, declaring, "I am god of the Underworld."

A gasp escaped the youth's lips, and he backed away from the other as much as he was able in his limited position. "Y-you're...Hades?"

Chase nodded. "That is the name I am called by mortals, yes."

Jack's eyes were wide and frightful as he looked at the powerful god before him. "What do you want from _me_?" he practically squeaked out, throat tight with fear.

"Not your soul, if that's what you're wondering. Despite what your mother's told you, that isn't my only enjoyment in life."

Jack was silent for a moment, utterly baffled. "So...what _am_ I here for, then?"

"I have ruled this kingdom for centuries, Jack, and for centuries, it has been mine and mine alone." The half-god was even further confused, now. What did this have to do with anything? "As of late, however, I have begun to consider...other options," and at Jack's curious gaze, he clarified, "marriage. I have decided that the Underworld needs a queen, and I, a wife."

"That," Jack meekly interjected, "doesn't explain why I'm here."

"Oh, but it explains _everything,_ " Chase insisted, "because you see, Jack, the wife I've chosen," golden eyes (with slit pupils, now, the youth absently noted), locked with Jack's red ones as the god finished, "is you."

And for the second time since meeting Chase, Jack's heart stopped. "...Wife?" he forced out, wondering if the lightheadedness he was feeling meant he was going to faint.

Chase became gentler with the boy now, as if sensing his distress, and he pulled Jack onto his lap while stroking his hair. "Relax, dear one, this is not the end of the world. I'm offering you _so_ much: my kingdom, my power, a place by my side. A new life, Jack."

Jack paused, allowing his mind to wander on that topic while his body lay near-useless against Chase. A new life? Could...could he really have that? Everything that this god was offering...could be _his?_ Without any conseque—...

"And what are you taking from me in this exchange then, _if_ I agree to it?"

"Ah, so this is the root of all your doubt, is it? Well, you needn't worry about losing anything. All I want from you is your complete and utter devotion to me. If you say 'yes', all I will ever ask is for you to love and respect me. If you will do that, I will be your slave, and you will have anything that you could ever want, I promise you this." It wouldn't be long before the halfling's will crumbled under the temptation, and then he would be Chase's.

Jack felt his resolve waver once more, but he held tightly to his last shred of determination. "If _...if_ I say 'yes'...what about mother? Will I at least be allowed to see her?"

The answer was immediate. "No."

"What?!" Jack exclaimed, shocked. "But—she's my _mother_! Why not?!"

"Your mother has done naught but pollute your mind with nonsense." Chase informed the youth in a blunt growl. "I refuse to allow you to further associate with her."

Something snapped in the half-god, and he tore himself away from the man holding him, finally finding the strength to stand on his own as he glared defiantly at the elder male. "You try to take me from my mother, my only family! I'd sooner _die_ than marry you!"

Chase's expression darkened monumentally, and somewhere in medieval Asia, a farmer broke into a coughing fit, gasping as blood droplets littered his now-grey discolored hand. The god of death stood from the bed, fastening an iron grip around the pale halfling's arm. "Unless I am mistaken, before I took you from her care, you truly _were_ contemplating suicide!" he roared, furious.

Jack cried out in pain as the hand on him tightened even more, flinching away from Chase in fear.

The god seemingly took no notice, shoving the boy roughly away from him and into the cold arms of a suddenly-apparated ghoulish servant. "Take him to the guest's chambers," he instructed, refusing to even spare a glance towards the scared and confused creature of whose fate he spoke so casually. "He is not to leave."

 

* * *

 

"Where is he, you miserable excuse for a man?!" Demeter screeched at Dashi, practically purple with rage. "Where is my Jack?!"

"I'm afraid," he answered in a delegating tone, "that I can't tell you that, Demeter."

"What do you mean, 'you can't tell me'?! I called you here, the King of the Gods, to help me find my son, and you can't even do _that_?! Some king who can't even keep track of his subjects!" Demeter was a kind, caring woman, but she was much alike in nature to a mother bird: beautiful and gentle, but if her chick was endangered, just as likely to peck your eyes out as look at you.

"Oh, no, that's not the issue. I'm perfectly aware of what has happened to 'your Jack', and I can assure you that he is safe."

A moment of quiet, almost certainly the calm before the storm...

"If you know where he is," Demeter began coolly, before screaming, enraged, "then why is he not by my side, now, Dashi?! Why is he still missing, damn you?!"

The man gave her a knowing smile, eyes glinting mischieviously as he answered, "Because I would rather not interrupt the honeymoon." A heavenly lightning bolt struck the earth and when the flash of light faded, the thunder god was gone.

Demeter was speechless...honeymoon...? _Her_ precious Jack...married to some, some strange woman?!

Her worldess shriek of pure fury shattered the air.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack sighed helplessly at his predicament, running a hand through his hair. There was no way out of the dull, grey room he had been so unceremoniously tossed into, and of course, just when he had thought it couldn't _possibly_ get worse, it did.

Not even an hour after his imprisonment, an armored woman, with red hair and tan skin, had shown up, claiming to be Hecate, goddess of witchcraft, but that he could call her by her true name, Wuya. She had then proceeded to tell him that Chase had sent her to inform him that whether he was willing or not, he would be the Queen of the Dead before moonrise.

Jack had no idea how he was supposed to react to such news, and so did not; only hung his head in empty resignation. He was entirely uncomforted by Wuya's (few and meager) sympathies.

He was currently wearing a greyish-purple colored article of clothing, long and flowing around his legs and in the area of his sleeves, but purposefully snug around his torso, particularly the chest and hips. Flowers of a similar shade had been threaded though his white hair by some of Chase's ghouls, and he still shuddered to recall the feeling of their chilling fingers on him.

Soon, though, he supposed, he would have another set of fingers touching him.

By Gaia, was this really happening to him? Was he really getting... _married_? And to the powerful God of the Dead, no less?! How could this _possibly_ have happened to a half-breed whelp like him?

Why would Chase so tarnish his godly reputation by associating with, much less _marrying_ , a weak little half-human who didn't even have enough heavenly powers to break a mirror without actually taking a fist to it? It didn't make sense!

Though...he'd said... Chase had said, essentially, that he was lonely, and that because of it, he had decided to take a wife.

Could that _really_ be the reason? Was it at all possible that he had been chosen, out of everyone else in the world, to end that loneliness?

......Could he have been thinking about this the wrong way?

After all, this really _was_ an honor, now that he considered it: Chase was powerful, and he'd never want for anything if he were to become his wife (the god's kingdom was _infinitely_ expanding), and besides that, he _was_ handsome and had seemed nice (for the most part)...

Maybe he could make the best of this. He and Chase had gotten along splendidly before the topic of his mother had been broached, and as dearly as he loved her, he had to admit that Chase's point was valid. He had been deeply considering death not even several hours before.

Even though he had been depressed about being kidnapped and being forced into marriage, Jack had not even had the thought to kill himself cross his mind.

Granted, he was already in the Underworld, and any such attempt would only bring him right back, and if Chase wanted him to be alive, that would just as easily happen, but nonetheless, the point was that it hadn't _occurred_ to him.

Maybe he should just...go with it?

 

* * *

 

Regardless of the fantastic beauty of the ceremony, all of the decorations and lights arranged perfectly so as to inspire feelings of awe in looking at them, Jack couldn't help but feel a little...trapped. No matter that he was now willingly going through with this.

Wuya had his arm in an iron grip as she led him to the specter-priest's altar and his inevitable future, despite the fact that he wasn't at all struggling, and he was sure there would be a colorful bruise on the delicate flesh of his arm quite soon.

Upon reaching their destination, Wuya almost immediately released him, but the half-god's hands were just as quickly captured, icy-cold fingers interlacing with his and drawing his attention to the god they belonged to.

Jack's jaw just about hit the floor right there.

Chase must have looked ten times more gorgeous than he had in his human guise.

The God of the Dead had dropped this illusion of humanity and now stood before Jack in his true form, a soft, black glow surrounding his entire body as his eyes sparkled like fireflies in the relative shadow of the Underworld. His hair was glossier, wilder and now boasted evergreen highlights— Jack nearly groaned aloud at the enticing way those locks spilled over Chase's firm, toned shoulders.

Noting the appreciative cloudy look that had overtaken red eyes, Chase smirked smugly, revealing the barest hint of sharp fangs, and with the slight movement of pulling Jack closer, pointed ears, too.

All Jack could think was, _Wow..._

The dead priest began speaking the ancient words of the ceremony, the sound wispy and musical to the pale boy's ears as he waited for the part where consent was to be given to the marriage. He vaguely wondered if Chase would even _allow_ him the choice.

The moment seemed to come all too soon as the ghoul turned to the older male, proposing, "Do you deem this boy worthy of being your queen?"

"I do," came the silky-smooth answer, and the hands holding his tightened their grip.

"And do you, child, deem this man a worthy king—"

"He does—"

"I do."

This seemed to give Chase pause, and as the priest announced their bond to the ghoulish spectators, the god gave him a considering look.

Fairly quickly getting over his surprise, however, the elder of the two dipped his head to share their first kiss as husband and wife (and only their second kiss since meeting). Jack couldn't hold back his squeak of surprise when Chase's tongue was slipped into his mouth, apparently on purpose.

As the God of Death pulled away from the kiss, he whispered teasingly, "What happened to 'I'd sooner die than marry you', my queen?"

Jack flushed a rosy pink, muttering, "Maybe I changed my mind..."

Chase grinned, pleased, as he assured, "You shall not regret doing so, dear one, I promise. I will be good to you."

 

* * *

 

 Jack had never been happier in his life.

Chase had proven himself a keeper of his promises, and the young halfling hadn't had a single thought against his decision to willingly marry the man.

Every little thing he expressed even remote interest in having or experiencing was given to him without a second thought: he had been treated to every luxury imaginable, been given the most fabulous delicacies the Underworld had to offer, finally seen sunlight (though not real enough to hurt him) through a romantic outing to the breathtaking Elysian Fields. Every night he slept on sheets of the finest silk and pillows of the softest down.

And oh, what went on in that bed every night! It _finally_ made sense why humans kept procreating like rabbits if their experiences in doing so had been even one _tenth_ as pleasurable as what Chase did to him. It seemed that the man was not only a death god, but a _sex_ god, as well!

And even more thrilling to the young demi-god...

_I think I'm in love..._

Yes, it seemed to have happened just as all the master-poets and minstrels described it, as if a fairy tale!

Now whenever he laid eyes on his husband, his heart beat faster and should the sight be only in passing, a wistful sigh escaped his chest.

At the god's touch, it felt like he was being shocked, but in a good way, and shivers coursed his spine.

Where there had once been a hollow, empty feeling somewhere inside of him, he now felt...

Complete. _Whole_.

It was bliss.

Chase, too, was experiencing similar feelings from the presence of his new wife, and was rather enjoying it, himself.

It was surprisingly satisfying to share a bed with someone, knowing that when he woke in the morning, they would still be there.

But it was more than just that. Of _course_ it was more than just that. He loved having such a pretty, young thing in his bed every night, what fool wouldn't? It was just that there was... _more._

As an example, his heart had stopped beating decades ago. He was the God of Death and was mostly dead himself, and even _having_ the heart itself was superfluous, let alone wasting the energy to keep it constantly beating. Besides, he'd found he could go a full 24 hours without food or drink on only an hour of sleep if he conserved the energy of both his heartbeat and breathing. Granted, it was fairly unhealthy to force himself to function this way, but he was a _busy_ god what with all the people dying every day, and he needed to maximize his time as efficiently as possible.

However, he'd recently noticed that at certain times, like when making love to his new bride, kissing him, even something so trivial as holding that marble-white hand in his, his long-forgotten heart had decided to chime in against his will. The beating was soft and weak at first, but soon grew strong with the presence of his half-human wife.And even stranger, when he was without the boy, the damned thing _refused_ to beat, even should he try to force it to. It was like it had a mind of its own, the heart determined to beat only for Jack.

He had never really cared before, but to have the other person feel just as much as he did for them, if not more, made love seem less of a debilitating weakness, as he'd always used to feel it was.

And frankly, it was actually fairly pleasant.

It had only been a month after the wedding (although it felt like much more), and so though it was a good deal late for a celebratory ball to commemorate the new couple, the dead were dead and liked to take things slow, and so it was at this time that the event was being held.

Considering the state of the guests, the party was surprisingly lively, with drinking, dancing, and feasting galore, but there was one that excluded himself from the festivities, simply sitting and staring at a small reflecting pond.

"My love," Chase questioned, taking a seat on the stone bench beside his dour wife, "what are you doing here? This ball is in _our_ honor. Why do you not show joy and celebrate? This moping is not like you."

And that last part was true. He _had_ been rather mopey for _years_ , but it seemed that this marriage had brought out his cheerful and excitable side at last, always surprising his husband with random hugs and kisses and other displays of affection, frequently begging to go under human-guise and catch some theater or visit a mortal's feast for amusement, something that the unwed-Jack would not only have been forbidden to do, but wouldn't have dared.

This separation from his mother had helped him to find himself.

Unfortunately, that was just what was on the young queen's mind.

"I though of my mother today," he quietly spoke as his lover put an arm around his shoulders. "I haven't thought of her for weeks."

"That is good," the god assured him. "You need not forget her completely, but a boy your age should not rely on her as you used to. You are becoming a man, and you must be your _own_ man, not your mother's, which is in turn, a baby. It is a good sign that you are moving past her incessant mollycoddling and having your own life and personality."

"I know, but its not that," Jack informed. "I'm just...worried."

"Worried?" Chase laughed, "For what reason do you worry? _I_ am your husband. Nothing need worry you."

"I'm not worried for myself, I'm worried for mortals. I've never been away from my mother before, much less as long as I've been here with you. I'm worried she'd react badly and take it out on other people."

The God of the Dead sighed, taking his lover's chin in his grip. "Listen, wife, and listen well: whatever tantrum your mother is throwing is none of our concern. She is simply selfish and believes you hers and hers alone."

At this, Jack's mood perked, and he grinned, "But I'm not _hers_ anymore..."

Chase stood, pulling the half-god with him to the center of the ballroom as he proudly agreed, "That is correct. You are _mine..._ "

With Jack so eager to be led into a dance and forget his mother, the lord of the realm wisely held his tongue about what he truly knew of the events of the upper-world.

 

* * *

 

Dashi frowned as he inspected the world of mortals, brought to ruin by an angry, mourning mother.

All of the plants and crops were dying, and the whole world had gotten _very_ cold and frozen.

Not only animals that fed from the earth, but the humans who fed off of those animals, too, were dying of starvation.

A world in ruin, indeed.

And not just that, but offerings to the Gods had come to a screeching halt, no sacrifices able to be made due to the necessity of any resources available to keep the humans (barely) alive.

Naturally, his brother knew _all_ about it, the suffering and pain, and did nothing. He was greedy and possessive of his gift and found no reason to give him up when the events occurring were only increasing the size of his kingdom.

This was unacceptable.

"Raimundo," the king beckoned his messenger. "I need you to return to the Underworld."

"What for?" the younger god inquired.

"Jack must be returned to Demeter."


	4. Chapter 4

"What?!" Chase roared, livid. "Never! I shall do no such thing!"

Rai winced. He'd been expecting 'angry', but not 'unholy fury.' "Look, I know this isn't easy, but Dashi—"

"Oh, Dashi!" the God of Death growled. "What does _Dashi_ know of _love_? He changes lovers like others change tunics!"

The messenger was given pause at the word 'love.' Chase... _loved_ Jack?

"Alright," he conceded at this realization, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but there's a loophole." The green-eyed male plucked a halved pomegranate from the nearby dinner table. "If he eats a seed from one of these, he has to stay with you for one month of the year."

"A month?! He is my _wife!_ "

"And Demeter's son!" the younger god reminded. "A month is really better than nothing, dude."

Chase scowled at the messenger for a long moment, then reluctantly snatching the pomegranate away. "I shall bring him to you in ten minutes."

 

* * *

 

 "No," Jack cried, "no! I don't want to go back, they can't make me!"

"You must, my love," Chase sighed. "People are dying because of your mother and she will not stop until either everyone and everything is dead or you are once more with her."

"But I don't care about 'everyone and everything', I care about _you_ ," he protested, fingers curling in the dark fabric of his lover's tunic. "I love _you_ and I want to stay _here_!"

"You look a bit peckish," the god commented offhandedly. "At the very least, why don't you share a pomegranate with me before you must go?"

Jack did not question this and simply accepted the offered fruit, taking a seed into his mouth. "I can't believe this, making me go back _now_."

The young man reached for another and Chase did not stop him. "I mean, who the hell does Dashi think he is?"

Three seeds now, and still no protest from his beloved. "It's not fair to _me_ to, to just decide this!"

Yet another seed. "What about what _I_ want? Doesn't anyone care about that?"

Six seeds in total. "I—"

"That's enough, Jack," Chase halted, pulling the pomegranate from the white hand that held it. "It's time for you to go."

The demi-god latched onto his lover's front, whimpering, "I don't wanna..."

"You must," the elder reiterated, gently returning the embrace and nuzzling his nose into white hair. "I swear I shall loathe every day you are not by my side. Now come, you must leave me."

And with that, Jack was returned to Chase's throne room where the messenger god awaited to take the boy back.

 

* * *

 

 "Oh, my darling baby!" Demeter exclaimed, hugging her son tightly as Raimundo departed back to Olympus, "I was so scared I'd lost you! When I was told they'd married you off to that, that _Hades_ , I—..." The woman paused, inspecting her child. "Jack, your lips are so red...you didn't have anything to eat before you left, did you?"

"Just some pomegranate," the youth sighed, that familiar 'caged' feeling already setting in with his mother's fretting.

The goddess' eyes went wide at this. "How many seeds?" she abruptly demanded.

Jack was startled at the urgency in his mother voice and quickly answered, "Only six!"

Demeter made a mournful noise and once more held her son to her. "Oh, Jack, that evil god has tricked you! You must now stay with him a month for every seed you've eaten. Six months in the Underworld every year! How terrible, my poor child!"

"Yeah," Jack spoke, an elated grin coming over his face as he realized what Chase had done, "terrible..."

"Don't worry, darling," the woman comforted, "when you are gone, I shall freeze this earth until you return to me!"

The demi-god broke away from his mother's hug at the sight of something unusual in the green grass and wandered over to it, kneeling to its level.

A black rose...

Jack plucked it from the ground and held it to his chest, silently mouthing a message to the lover he knew was watching.

 

* * *

 

Chase smirked as his gift was received gratefully, his dark heart beating once more as his wife's lips formed the words, "I love you."

He had given his lover those sixseeds, purposefully not telling him lest he try to eat the remaining six that would've allowed him eternity in the Underworld. He would have _liked_ Jack's permanent residence, but Demeter, though a full-grown goddess, was an insufferable brat. To keep a... relatively _acceptable_ balance in the world, it was necessary to share him, however unwilling Chase was to do that and to give Demeter at least half of his beloved.

"Soon, my love," he purred to the boy's image in the reflecting pool, "soon you shall come back home where you belong, and I eagerly await your return."


End file.
